Do Your Own Research on the Best Used Medical Lasers & Manufacturers

Most laser reps/brokers know very little about the equipment they are selling, aside from the one-day crash course of single-sided “facts” about their equipment that they could simply get from a datasheet. What is really bothersome is that so many doctors will believe what the reps/brokers say but not do the diligence and research it. Going off of marketing brochures really does not iterate the actual equipment or the workings of the equipment.

Get a technical explanation, if they can do it, of how the laser works. If they can’t, then you should really question their ability to know what the laser can do and why. Cost alone should not and should never be a deciding factor in buying a laser. Quality, longevity, repairs / replacements, efficacy and the light delivery methods are far more important than the cost. All too often I see doctors take the cheaper route and end up getting less of a laser that ultimately costs more in the long run, also costing them patients referrals, trust and more replacement parts to keep the laser operating it (thus keeping them in the pocket of the laser maker).

Anyone looking to buy a laser needs to pick up the phone, call around and get technical info on everything you want to consider. I recommend the following company that does an EXCELLENT job in providing laser technical information: Medical Insight. This company has some aesthetic laser charts that provide across the board comparisons of every laser that’s out there for every type of aesthetic modality.

Take your time, be patient, stay in control of your decisions and simply tell the broker exactly what you want. Don’t let them guide you into anything else, just make them give you the stats, the facts and their technical support case of why. If they cannot give you these answers on the spot or in a timely manner, say goodbye and move on to a broker and a company who will support you in this expensive and long-term decision.

There are some excellent resources for finding out which lasers are the favorites among physicians. One such resource can be found online at: www.MedicalSpaMD.com. This is a blog of aesthetic physicians who discuss very openly their experiences with all of the various manufacturers and equipment that is on the market today. Once you begin reading this information, it will become very clear which manufacturers and which equipment you should stay away from and which equipment is a favorite among the physicians in the group.

I also highly recommend that you sign up for the free webinars that are offered by almost all of the laser manufacturers. These are free, you don’t have to travel, and it allows you to get a solid idea of the benefits of the laser technology available. Attending trade shows can also be another great way to learn of the technologies that are in favor with the industry. Two shows that I recommend you attend are the American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery (http://www.aslms.org) and The Aesthetic Show sponsored by Medical Insight (http://www.miinews.com).

Test-driving a used car helps you decide if it is the right car for you and also if this particular car is in good condition. It may not hurt to rent a laser from the manufacturer before you decide to buy so that you can give it a good “test drive.” Find out if this option is available to you. They may be able to provide you with a demo unit they can rent out to you. This will allow you to find out if the laser is a good fit for your practice.

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BEWARE of Sentient Medical Technologies(SMT).
I do not Recommend you purchase your Laser from this company!
(My opinion is based on my past experience.)

March 2013: I purchased a Star lux 500 from SMT.
April 2013: Star Lux 500 arrived.
June 2013: Used for the first time on a client; It works but was VERY loud.
April 2014: Major troubles: Touch Screen abruptly stops working in the middle of a client treatment (less than a year of use).
April 2014: Star Lux 500 sent to Utah( at a cost of about $5000 not to mention loss of revenue) to be fixed( Calibrated is what I was told), maintenance was done; but the issue of the Touch Screen was not found and I was not informed.
June 2014: Star Lux 500 returned to me after “calibration of Touch Screen” and Maintenance.
Sept. 2014: Touch Screen went out again( putting me in a situation where I had to inform the days clients that the laser, once again, wasn’t working); only at this time when the technician was reading the report on the maintenance of my Star Lux 500 was I informed that the issue had not been found; the Tech was at a loss and after quite a while of trouble shooting and me refusing to send the Laser again up to Sentient did the tech then try one last thing, and that was it. He stated that sometimes the lasers shake the microchips loose and that this was a poor design flaw in this particular laser;
Nov. 2014: I turned on my Star Lux 500 and Error 24 appeared on the screen and would not work (I once again and for the final time, informed a client that my laser was not working). After trouble shooting with the aid of my owner’s manual and the same SMT technician as I had with the previous issues no resolution was found. The technician thought it might be the water filters (the laser would have shown a different code for that) and after I stated that the water filters were changed as part of the Sentient Maintenance (done the previous April while it was in Utah for the Touch Screen) the Tech confirmed that the filters were changed then; the Tech stated that he was at a loss, would speak to another tech and call me back; once he did he stated I could send it back to Sentient because he didn’t know what else to tell me.
Nov. 2014: I told the tech. that I could not run a business with this laser and all its issues and that I wanted Sentient to buy the laser back as I felt it was defective based on all the issues it experienced in the brief period I had actually had it in my possession, he stated he felt sorry for all this and that he would inform his boss and the resale department of my request; I had called an upper management member at the company that I had access to ( I had his cell and office number because of past issues discussed with my Star Lux 500) and the sales woman who sold it to me and informed both of them of my desire to sell it back; the upper management member didn’t return my call; I was only able to reach the saleswoman after numerous calls, she stated she would relay my request.
Nov. 20, 2014: Officially closed my business.
January 2015: After still not hearing anything from Sentient I ordered new water filters and found, as I suspected, this didn’t fix the Error 24.
Jan. & Feb 2015: I contacted Sentient and was told in no uncertain terms that they would not buy it back but may agree to sell it on consignment in the future for about one-third the price I purchased it from them at.
March 2015: After sending a letter to the upper management member and receiving no response I hired a local Laser Tech company to tell me what was wrong with the Star Lux 500 and fix it to resell. The owner of the laser tech company stated the following about my Star Lux 500; “For me, the condition of the pump was easy to diagnose because it was locked-up and no primary coolant flow was present. After I removed, disassembled, freed the pump armature and lubricated the bearings and seal, the pump ran once again and the system operates without error. The pump will most likely not last long because of the prior damage and it does currently make considerable noise”, “After removing the pump assembly I did notice ‘staining’ on the housing plate directly under the pump/motor union. This indicates to me that there was coolant leaking from the pump assembly. However, it does not indicate how long the leak existed”.
March 2015: Hired an attorney to relay the information found by the owner of the local laser tech company to Sentient. In light of the findings of the major issue found in addition to the numerous previous issues Sentient has still refused to buy back the issue riddled Star Lux 500 I purchased from them at the price I purchased it for, based a business on and closed a business because of.
Kimberlee az4berlee@gmail.com